Peace
& Love in a Field of Mud
After studying
moon Rock and watching Apollo 11 Roll back through the heavens to Earth in
July, how can we possibly top that for August?
Slip-sliding
through the month at WOODSTOCK of course!
50
Years Ago this Month Rockin' News
August
5th: We were still feeling a little spacey, as NASA’s Mariner probe 7 completed
the first dual mission flyby to Mars, following Mariner 6’s close encounter a
week after the Moon Landing, July 31. Their observations inspired a heightened
interest in Mars knowledge and further exploration.
AUGUST 15-18th: Woodstock! This was a spacey event with
a whole new meaning of the term. The grandfather of legendary “happenings” celebrates
its 50th anniversary this month,
to little fanfare except as a legend in our own minds.
The muddy, wet, and joyous “Woodstock Music and Art Fair” phenomenon
in Bethel / White Lake, New York, is part of our lives today, whether we
attended or not. “… you got high on just being there with your friends and all
the beautiful people who came to sit in peace and listen to the music.” (Woodstock 69 Summer Pop Festivals; Joseph J. Sia, February 1970; BFYP Collection.)
As an icon of the ‘60s era, Woodstock climaxed the decade in what
became classic Rock & Roll style … with a crash of guitar rifts, a bang of rainy
lightening (today’s fireworks), and a glassy, lopsided smile on 400-500,000
people who can’t all be crazy … right?!
August 17th: Baby Boomer Recognition Day just happens to coincide with what was
originally to be the last day of Woodstock
… coincidence? I think not. Great day to see if your tie-dyed Levi’s
still fit or how bent up your wire, rose-colored glasses are; if all else fails,
tie a bandana around your head and Rock Out to Jimi Hendrix’s best vintage
tunes … Peace and Love, Baby!
 |
| Peace & Love transistor radios 1970; BFYP Collection |
August 30th: Although not the blockbuster of
upstate New York’s legendary event, a copycat Texas International Pop Festival was no slouch, drawing an estimated
120,000 to 150,000 to its open field near Lewisville.
The Labor Day weekend
hippie and happy music happening in the south contained all the same Peace and
Love elements of Woodstock, without the enduring prominence. With some grand
names like Grand Funk Railroad, Janis Joplin,
B.B. King, Led Zeppelin,
and a bunch more, I’m sure it still made for happy memories 50 Years later.
Rockin’ Retro Radio
BFYP featured DJ, Bill Bailey watched The Rolling Stones’ “Honky Tonk Woman” Rock the top of WLS/Chicago’s “Radio 89 Hit Parade” August 11, 1969, although they weren’t partying at Woodstock the following weekend.
BFYP featured DJ, Bill Bailey watched The Rolling Stones’ “Honky Tonk Woman” Rock the top of WLS/Chicago’s “Radio 89 Hit Parade” August 11, 1969, although they weren’t partying at Woodstock the following weekend.
Landing with much fanfare at WLS, Bill must have been impressive, as John Rook (PD) once said of him, Bill's salary was "the biggest we've ever offered a new man." (From BFYP Book 2.)
Featured Radio Survey: KFXM/San Bernardino, California fans cheered for Credence Clearwater Revival and Tim Hardin appearing at Woodstock, and both in the top five of KFXM's August 15th “Tiger Thirty.” Were you there … 50 Years Ago this Month in Rock & Roll Radio? That groovy day when …
Celebrate AUGUST 1969 and … Rock On!
Share on Twitter: @BlastFromPastBk
LinDee Rochelle
is a writer and editor by trade, and author by way of Rock & Roll. She has
published two books (of three) in her Blast from Your Past series, available on Amazon (eBook and print): Book 1 – Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The First Five Years 1954-1959; and Book 2 – Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The Swinging Sixties. Coming soon … The Psychedelic Seventies!
Note: FYI – All links in the BFYP site are personally
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discretion.
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